You're Invited: Verdi's 200th Birthday Celebration

Now, you've been listening to what's playing in R&B singer Miguel's ear, but we have a different kind of music in our ear at the moment. We're humming opera tunes from the composer Verdi. It's the 200th anniversary of his birth and London's Royal Opera House is celebrating with an online extravaganza that you can stream for free. They're also asking people across the globe to record their own version of Verdi's well-known chorus, "Va Pensiero." It's also known as "The Slave Chorus" from Nabucco. Here's a sample of what it all sounds like.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

NABUCCO: (Singing in foreign language).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Singing in foreign language).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Singing in foreign language).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Singing in foreign language).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: (Singing in foreign language).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: (Singing in foreign language).

HEADLEE: Those are opera fans participating everywhere, from Madrid to Japan, and we wanted to bring our own TELL ME MORE style.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO")

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #3: (Singing in foreign language).

HEADLEE: Want to try it yourself? Go to the Royal Opera House website and record your own version. That's our program for today. You've been listening to TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee in for Michel Martin. We'll talk more tomorrow.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VA PENSIERO") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.